TV’s part-time heroes head for Gatehouse festival

Bombskare, who wowed Ultravox frontman Midge Ure on BBC4’s “Britain’s Best Part-Time Band” will be wowing the audience at Gatehouse of Fleet’s Midsummer Music Festival this weekend.

The Edinburgh-based ska band impressed judge Midge with their frenetic but very tight delivery on the talent show’s first heat and are through to the final of the TV competition this Friday {17 June}.

The very next day they will join Samson Sounds, The Barr Stools and Zoe Bestel for the climactic Saturday evening concert of the Gatehouse festival, which is now in its tenth year.

Festival convenor Michelle McClure said the committee had no idea their chosen headline act would feature so prominently on national television so close to their visit to the Stewartry.

“It came as a real surprise to us,” she said, “but it’s certainly been helpful in promoting the concert!”

Bombskare’s first appearance on the TV show featured various band members in their daytime jobs, ranging from delivery driver to industrial climber to “visual merchandiser”, as well as showing them delivering their high-energy blend of Scottish ska in rehearsal and in competition at a club in Belfast.

The band were one of two chosen to go forward to the grand final.

The first show can be seen on BBC iPlayer for those who want to check out the band before the festival, which also features free concerts in Gatehouse’s numerous small venues on Friday 17 June, and others on Saturday and Sunday daytime.

Michelle added: “We’re really looking forward to a packed programme of music for the weekend. If there’s any justice, Bombskare will arrive as the winning finalists – they are brilliant, and hopefully they won’t be a part-time band for much longer!”

Tickets for the festival concert are available via the website www.musicgatehouse.com, as are full details of the festival programme.

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